Jaina and Jacen Solo, along with their friends Zekk, Tenel Ka, Lowie and Em- 
teedee, Raynar Thul, and Lusa relaxed on the bank of the river that ran 
through Yavin 4's jungles. It was a very humid day on the jungle moon, so the 
young Jedi Knights had decided to take a break from their training and take a 
swim in the river. 
"Hey, guys! Check it out!" Jacen stood atop a high branch on an ancient 
Massassi tree. All heads turned as Jacen grabbed a hold of a vine and swung 
down into the river. Jacen let out a whoop of delight as he let go of the rope 
and flew through the air towards the water below. Taking a deep breath and 
closing his eyes, Jacen prepared to hit the water. All of a sudden, an 
invisible set of hands grabbed hold of Jacen and held him, suspended, in the 
air. Jacen opened his eyes. "Huh?" As soon as Jacen had let down his guard, 
the hands dropped him, and he went crashing down into the river. Jacen swam up 
to the surface, coughing and sputtering. The other Jedi Knights laughed until 
their sides hurt. Jacen flushed when he saw that Uncle Luke had come out of 
the jungle with a smile on his face. 
"I've always wanted to try that," Luke chuckled. That just made the other 
young jedi trainees laugh harder. 
Jacen climbed out of the river, his face red. "So, uh, Uncle Luke, what 
brings you here?" Jacen said, trying to change the subject. He grinned. 
"Decide to take a swim?" 
"Not exactly," Luke smiled. His expression then became serious. "I need to 
talk to all of you." 
The Solo twins and their friends gathered around Luke, their expressions one 
of curiosity. Luke looked at Jacen and Jaina. 
"Do you two remember your cousin, Mirri?" asked Luke. Jaina shrugged. 
"A little bit. I think the last time Jasa and I saw her was when we were 
five," she answered. Zekk, Tenel Ka, Lowie, Lusa, and Raynar looked at Luke in 
astonishment. 
"You have daughter, Master Skywalker?" Zekk asked. He looked at Jaina. "You 
never told me." Jaina blushed and ran a hand through her straight brown hair. 
Luke continued. 
"Yes, I have a daughter. The reason that none of you knew, is because Mirri 
lives with her mother, Mara. When Mirri was born, she inherited the powers of 
Mara, Anakin Skywalker, and myself. You all know that Force-sensitive children 
are most vulnerable when they're young. So, Mara and I decided to raise Mirri 
on Smuggler's Cove, a moon of Ord Mantell. We decided to keep Mirri there 
because no one would think to look for a child as powerful as Mirri in a place 
like that." Tenel Ka spoke up. 
"Why didn't you raise her on Yavin 4 and train her in the ways of the Force 
then?" 
"When Mirri was born, I had just started the Jedi Academy. I was 
inexperienced as a teacher, and not ready to train a person as strong as 
Mirri. Look at what happened with Kyp." Luke said, referring to a young man 
whom Luke had trained in the ways of the Force. Kyp Durron had been tempted to 
the Dark Side by an evil Sith Lord named Exar Kun. Fortunately, the twins' 
father had saved Kyp from the Dark Side, Han Solo. Luke continued, telling how 
Mirri had become a superb street fighter, and how she had come to use the Dark 
Side of the Force to aid her in her last fight. 
"Oh, no," Jaina gasped. 
"I know," Luke said. "Mara contacted me about an hour ago, and we decided to 
have Mirri brought here so I can train her to use her powers properly. 
Speaking of which, that's why I came looking for all of you. I want you all to 
try and befriend Mirri, and to include her in your activities. I know you all 
have your hands full with that new girl, Anja Gallandro," Luke frowned when he 
mentioned Anja's name. Jacen swallowed hard. He knew Uncle Luke didn't like 
Anja much. 
Luke smiled and turned to leave. "That's all I have to say. Just remember 
what I said." 
"Wait!" Jaina called. Luke turned around. "Uncle Luke, when is Mirri 
arriving?" 
"Tomorrow, around midday." 
Luke turned and began walking back to the academy. When Jaina was sure that 
Luke was out of hearing range, she turned to her brother and friends 
excitedly. 
"Did you hear that?!" she cried. "Mirri's coming to the academy! Can you 
believe it?" 
Zekk laughed. "Yeah, Jaya, I heard it. What I can't believe is why Master 
Skywalker didn't tell anyone." 
"He had his reasons," Tenel Ka answered. Lowie roared in agreement. 
Jaina glanced at Jacen worriedly. "Do you think she'll like it here?" 
"Are you kidding?" Jacen asked with a laugh. "Of course she'll like it here!" 
A smile pulled at the corners of Tenel Ka's mouth. " This is a fact." 


"No!" Mirri jumped up from the table, an expression of disbelief and anger on 
her face. "I'm not going!" 
"Calm down, Mirri," Mara put a soothing hand on her daughter's arm. Mirri 
shook it off. "Your father and I are doing this for your own good." 
"My own good? Look, I said I wouldn't street fight anymore! Why are you 
sending me too some backwater planet to see a father that I don't even know!" 
Mirri yelled. There's no way I'm losing this fight, she thought. 
"Mirri!" Mara jumped up from the table. "Has it ever occurred to you that we 
might be doing this for your own good?" 
"I'm fine!" shrieked Mirri. "I don't need to go!" 
"You're fine?" Mara asked. "You can barely contain your own powers!" 
"I'm not going!" Mirri turned from the table and ran to her room. A moment 
later, the three people at the table heard a door slam. Rillao spoke up. 
"Maybe it wasn't best to tell her." Mara snorted. 
"Are you kidding? And have her find out right when she steps off the ship? No 
way." 
Tigris stared down at his food, an unreadable expression on his face. Why 
now? He thought. Mirri and I were supposed to sneak out tonight! 
But in a way, Tigris understood the severity of the situation. His father, 
Lord Hethrir, had been a Dark Jedi, and had destroyed his own homeworld of 
Firrerre to show his allegiance to the late Empire. Tigris didn't want Mirri 
to end up like that. He looked up at Mara. 
"Uh, Mara? I was wondering if maybe mom and I could come with you and Mirri 
to Yavin 4. I think it might be easier on Mirri if I go along." 
Mara nodded. "That's just what I was going to suggest. Now, if you two will 
excuse me, I think I need to talk to Mirri." Rillao and Tigris nodded and 
returned to their food. 
Mara walked quickly to Mirri's room and opened the door. Mirri was laying 
face down on her bed, unmoving. 
"Mirri?" Mara asked quietly. She walked over to Mirri's bed and sat down. 
"Go away!" Mirri's voice was muffled. Mara sat still. 
"Mirri, please try and understand. You're father and I are doing this for 
your safety." 
Mirri whirled around. "My safety?" she said. "You know, no one asked me if I 
wanted to become a Jedi Knight or anything." 
Mara's face darkened. "And what do you want to do with your life, Mirri? Stay 
on Smuggler's Cove and become a smuggler, or a bounty hunter? You are too 
powerful live your life that way." Mara hesitated. "It's not your destiny." 
"Yeah, and what is, mom?" Mirri sneered. Mara looked into Mirri's eyes. Mirri 
stared back unflinchingly. 
"I don't know. Only you can determine it, and your father." 
"My father," Mirri spat out the word as if it were an undercooked nerf 
sausage. "Why all of a sudden has he taken an interest in me? He hasn't in the 
past. All he cares about is publicity, and bringing back the stupid Jedi 
Knights. He doesn't care about me. He never has, so why now?" 
Mara stood up. "Your father loves you more than you know." 
"Yeah?" Mirri let out a short laugh. "That's funny, mom. Because he never 
showed it." 
Mara sighed and walked to the door. "You're going to Yavin 4, Mirri. Whether 
you like it or not." Mara turned around. "You'd better start packing, we're 
leaving tomorrow." 
"Tomorrow!" Mirri looked at her mother in disbelief. "But.." 
"No 'buts'. Now get packed and get to bed. We're leaving early." 
With those last words, Mara turned and left Mirri alone in her room. Mirri 
walked over and shut the door, and then opened her closet. She grabbed a 
duffel bag and began throwing clothes in it, not caring if they were folded or 
not. She tossed in her music player, and her favorite c.d.'s, Figrin D'an and 
the Modal Nodes, the Max Rebo band, and a new band that had just begun to get 
recognized, Shugr Rai. Mirri glanced into the back of her closet and found 
another file of combat pants, sleeveless shirts and a pair of utility boots. 
She reached for them and shoved them into her bag. When Mirri glanced back 
over at where the clothes had been, she caught sight of a small, crumbled 
holopic. She frowned and reached for the picture. When Mirri dusted it off, 
she found herself looking at a picture of her mother, father, and her as a 
baby. 
They look so happy, she thought wistfully. She had never understood why her 
father had left her mother to raise her by herself. Mirri glared at the 
picture of her father. 
"Hotshot," she murmured. "Just wait until I get to Yavin 4. You're going to 
wish you never had a daughter." Mirri crumbled the picture and tossed it into 
her bag. 


The next morning, Tigris and Mirri strapped themselves into the passenger 
compartment of Mara's ship, Jade's Fire. Mirri rubbed her eyes and yawned. 
Tigris sighed and rubbed his temples. The two friends had snuck out as planned 
last night, and had gone to a local cantina. They had stayed for hours, 
playing sabacc and drinking to their heart's content. 
Maybe I shouldn't have had that randomized ale, Mirri thought. She thought 
that she might throw up any second. Mirri glanced at Tigris and she knew that 
he was thinking the same thing. 
A moment later, Mara and Rillao walked into the passenger compartment. Rillao 
went over to her traveling bag, rummaged through it, and then returned to the 
cockpit. Mara walked over to a consol on the wall, and on her way patted Mirri 
on the head. She smiled. "Maybe that will teach you not to have your ale 
randomized." 
Mirri's mouth dropped open and she looked at Mara in astonishment. Mara 
chuckled and went about the rest of the preflight checks. That's the problem 
with Jedi, Mirri thought. They know whenever you lie. Mirri turned to Tigris. 
"So," she said. "What do you want to do when we get to Yavin 4?" Mirri had 
been relieved when she found that Tigris would be staying a couple of days on 
the jungle moon with her. There was no way she was going to hang around with 
her relatives. 
Tigris smiled grimly, and clutched his side. "Probably find the nearest 
refresher unit. In the meantime," he said. "What do you say we play a little 
friendly game of Sabacc?" 
"Maybe later," Mirri said. "I was thinking that maybe we could practice some 
moves when the ship goes to lightspeed." 
"Are you sure we're aloud too?" Tigris asked. "After what happened 
yesterday?" 
"Look, it's not we're really fighting or anything," Mirri said impatiently. 
"We're just practicing. Think of it this way. I could be fighting some evil 
guy who wants to take over the galaxy, and he might have taken my lightsaber 
away. The only other way for me to fight would be to use my bare hands. And 
besides," she added. "It keeps me in shape, and it keeps my mind occupied." 
The two friends were silent until Jade's Fire leaped into hyperspace. Mirri 
and Tigris stood up, stretched, and then moved into position. Since the 
compartment wasn't big, they had to settle for kicking and punching. Well, not 
really punching. Mara was keeping a close eye on Mirri, just waiting for her 
to get angry. Finally, after about an hour of blocking and receiving hits, 
Mirri sat back down, and Tigris got out his sabacc deck. 
"How do you want to play?" he asked. "And what do you want to bet?" Mirri 
glanced into her bag and searched for something that she might be able to 
lose. 
"Correllian version," she answered, finally pulling out a large voucher of 
credits. "And this is what I'm betting." 
Tigris let out a low whistle. "Where'd you get all that?" he asked. 
Mirri smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that I had a stash in case for 
emergencies." 
Tigris nodded and dealt the cards. Mirri and Tigris played for hours, at 
times betting all of their credits, and other things that they'd brought 
along. Six hours later, Mara announced over the communicator that they were 
emerging from hyperspace. Mirri and Tigris put the cards away, along with 
their new stash of credits and c.d.'s. They walked up to the cockpit, right as 
the starlines turned into pinpoints of light. 
The gas giant Yavin loomed directly in front of them, with Lando Calrissian's 
Gemdiver Station off to the left. A large New Republic fleet stood off to the 
right, acting as a defense against attacks on the Jedi Academy. 
"Well, what do you think?" Mara asked. "Beautiful, huh?" 
Mirri narrowed her eyes. "Try boring. I can't believe you brought me here." 
Mirri turned and walked back to the passenger compartment. Tigris gave Mara 
and his mother an apologetic smile, and followed Mirri. 
Mara sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better make contact." She reached over to the 
control panel and turned on the communications link. "New Republic fleet, this 
is Mara Jade in Jade's Fire, requesting permission to land on Yavin 4." 
There was a moment of static, and then finally a voice answered back over the 
communicator. "Jade's Fire, this is New Republic fleet. Permission granted. 
Master Skywalker will meet you on the landing pad outside of the Great Temple. 
Enjoy your stay." 
"Thank you." Mara turned off the communications and flew towards Yavin 4, 
excitement and nervousness filling her. Finally, Mirri would meet her father. 
"She'd better behave herself," Mara said softly.